THE PUSHOVER
Written & Directed by JOHN PATRICK SHANLEY
A play about three badass women who collide and collude at a spa in New Mexico, and a barebones Chinese restaurant in Queens. Dangerous and hungry, their weapons and their passions bleed into each other. They speak the language of the outcast, rough and sexual, and fight to survive, and to love.
Supported in partnership with the Richenthal Foundation.
Sunday, August 3 at 2pm
PERFORMANCE ADDED BY POPULAR DEMAND: Sunday, August 3 at 6pm
Marist University, Poughkeepsie NY
JOHN PATRICK SHANLEY (Playwright/ Director)'s plays include PRODIGAL SON, OUTSIDE MULLINGAR (Tony Award nomination), DANNY AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA, SAVAGE IN LIMBO, ITALIAN-AMERICAN RECONCILIATION, WELCOME TO THE MOON, FOUR DOGS AND A BONE, DIRTY STORY, DEFIANCE, BEGGARS IN THE HOUSE OF PLENTY, and BROOKLYN LAUNDRY. His theatrical work is performed extensively across the United States and around the world. For his play DOUBT, he received both the Tony Award and the Pulitzer Prize. In the arena of screenwriting, he has ten films to his credit, most recently WILD MOUNTAIN THYME, with Emily Blunt, Jamie Dornan, and Christopher Walken. His film of DOUBT, which he also directed and which starred Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, and Viola Davis, was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Adapted Screenplay. Other screen credits include FIVE CORNERS (Special Jury Prize, Barcelona Film Festival), ALIVE, JOE VERSUS THE VOLCANO (which he also directed), and LIVE FROM BAGHDAD for HBO (Emmy nomination). For his script of MOONSTRUCK, he received both the Writers Guild of America Award and the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. In 2009, the Writers Guild of America honored Mr. Shanley with the Lifetime Achievement in Writing Award.
LEO NOBILETTI (Stage Manager)* is a New York City-based Stage Manager drawn to storytelling that challenges form and fosters connection. Recent credits include A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM (Opera House Arts), ORESTIA AND PERICLES (NYU Tisch Grad Acting), PUEBLA: THE STORY OF CINCO DE MAYO (Calpulli Mexican Dance Company), and SPIRITS BRIGHT (NYC Gay Men’s Chorus). He holds a B.F.A. in Stage Management from Long Island University and works across theatre, dance, and multidisciplinary performance. In addition to his freelance work, Leo serves as an Assistant Production Manager at the Hostos Center for Arts and Culture in the Bronx, NY, supporting a wide range of programming and community engagement efforts. Up next, he will be stage managing AND THEN WE WERE NO MORE AT LAMAM this September. Leo is committed to nurturing inclusive creative spaces and believes deeply in the role of live performance as a catalyst for dialogue and transformation.
ALEX GARCIA (Production Assistant) (They/Them) is a rising senior at Middlebury College majoring in Theatrical Design and Stage Management. They're thrilled to be joining NYSAF this season to explore the world that is theatrical new works. Professional credits include the 2024 season of Dogteam Theatre Project (Associate Master Electrician). Educational stage management credits include: RHINOCEROS, AND BABY MAKES SEVEN, DESTROYING ANGELS, POLAROID STORIES, WORST MOTHER IN THE WORLD, and KING LEAR. Educational light design credits include STORM STILL and GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES. They're a proud recipient of the Posse Foundation Full Tuition Leadership Scholarship and the Wentcher Scholarship.
CAST
CINDY CHEUNG (Pearl Penny Chen)* Select theatre: BUS STOP (Classic Stage Co, Transport Group, NAATCO), THE ANTIQUITIES, CATCH AS CATCH CAN, LOG CABIN, IOW@(Playwrights Horizons), COACH COACH (Clubbed Thumb), MERRY ME (NYTW), GOLDEN SHIELD (MTC), TINY BEAUTIFUL THINGS (Long Wharf). Select TV: AMERICAN CLASSIC (upcoming) DYING FOR SEX, THE SINNER, THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT, AWKWAFINA, BILLIONS, THIRTEEN REASONS WHY, HIGH MAINTENANCE, ALL L&O’S. Select Film: LOVEBOAT TAIPEI, MISTRESS AMERICA, OBVIOUS CHILD, CHILDREN OF INVENTION, LADY IN THE WATER.
Cheung served 14 years on the steering committee of the Asian American Performers Action Coalition (AAPAC) which received a Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre and an Obie Award Special Citation for Advocacy in the Field of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. She has an MFA from A.C.T. and a B.S. in Applied Mathematics from UCLA. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, novelist Ed Lin and their lanky 12-year-old son.
ZACH GRENIER (Therapist/ Juice) can be recognized from his series regular roles on THE GOOD WIFE, THE GOOD FIGHT, TOUCHING EVIL, and DEVS, as well as recurring appearances on acclaimed series, including RAY DONOVAN, DEADWOOD and 24. His extensive list of film credits span from cult classics such as A SHOCK TO THE SYSTEM and LIEBESTRAUM, to lauded features including FIGHT CLUB, SHE SAID, RIDE WITH THE DEVIL, TWISTER, ZODIAC, J. EDGAR and many more. On stage, Grenier earned a Tony Award® nomination for his portrayal of Beethoven in Moisés Kaufman’s 33 VARIATIONS, and a Lucille Lortel Award nomination for his performance in John Patrick Shanley’s STOREFRONT CHURCH at Atlantic Theater Company. Additional credits include Willy Loman in DEATH OF A SALESMAN (Pittsburgh Public Theatre), Rajiv Joseph’s DESCRIBE THE NIGHT (Atlantic Theater Company) and Sarah Burgess’ KINGS (Public Theater).
FLORENCIA LOZANO (Evelyn)* BROOKLYN LAUNDRY (MTC), ALL OF ME (The New Group), WET BRAIN AND PLACEBO (Playwrights Horizons),SHUTTLE, SPINDLE, NEEDLE (Clubbed Thumb), RINSE REPEAT (@ Signature), DEVIL OF CHOICE (LAByrinth), RED DOG HOWLS (NYTW), AND SHE WOULD STAND LIKE THIS (Movement Theatre Co), WINNERS (EST), MACBETH (Shakespeare in the Park), PRIVILEGE (Second Stage), LAST EASTER (MCC), WHERE’S MY MONEY? (MTC/LAB), Dirty Story (LAB). Co-wrote& starred in LIFE AFTER YOU (Best Feature & Best Actress NICE International Film Festival, Best Actress in Houston), DESTROY ALL GIRLS, HERE AFTER, CRYBABY BRIDGE, THE MINISTERS. TV: NARCOS, ONE LIFE TO LIVE, BULL, GOSSIP GIRL, BLUE BLOODS, UGLY BETTY, LAW & ORDER SVU & CI, THE MYSTERIES OF LAURA, MADAM SECRETARY, KEVIN CAN WAIT, THE BLACKLIST and ENEMY WITHIN. LAByrinth and EST company member and Actors' Studio pdu member. Her play: UNDERNEATHMYBED, directed by Pedro Pascal and produced at Rattlestick Playwrights' Theatre won HOLA's (Hispanic Organization of Latino Actors) Best New Play Award MFA, NYU BA, Brown. Florencia is also a performance artist. Her latest offering was an immersive event: FUN WITH PANIC ATTACKS at INTAR, co-directed by Kristina Poe.
ANGELA SARAFYAN (Soochi) can be seen as LARA LOR-VAN in James Gunn's SUPERMAN, currently the #1 movie in the world. She is widely known for her series regular role as CLEMENTINE on HBO’s Emmy Award-winning drama WESTWORLD. She finished filming the second season of the Apple TV+ series DARK MATTER coming out end of 2025, and Patricia Riggins’ G20, where she appears opposite Viola Davis on Amazon. She is in the new Amazon Prime series EL GATO as EL MUERTE. This past year, she filmed the lead role in Jose Eduardo Belmonte’s upcoming film QUASE DESERTO. She can next be seen in the feature BILLY KNIGHT opposite Al Pacino.
Angela starred in Darren Aronofsky’s LITTLE DEATH, where she worked with David Schwimmer, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival 2024. She also worked on Olmo Schnabel’s directorial debut, PET SHOP DAYS, alongside Willem Dafoe that had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival 2023. She can also be seen in Oscar Boyson’s short film POWER SIGNAL that premiered at Sundance 2023 and is now being adapted into a full-length feature.
In the past few years, Angela has starred in Joe Berlinger’s EXTREMELY WICKED, SHOCKINGLY EVIL & VILE, RUN & GUN, Blumhouse’s A HOUSE ON THE BAYOU, and the horror-comedy feature KING KNIGHT featuring Matthew Gray Gubler. She also previously appeared in THE PROMISE opposite Oscar Isaac and Christian Bale; in James Gray’s THE IMMIGRANT opposite Marion Cotillard and Joaquin Phoenix; and in Annapurna’s TELLING LIES.